The Eagles placed the franchise tag on wide receiver DeSean Jackson Thursday. The team jumped the gun a bit, since they technically had until Monday to make the move. Jackson was scheduled to become a free agent on March 13.

"We want DeSean to be an Eagle for the long haul and this is a step in the right direction to accomplish that," said GM Howie Roseman in a statement. “DeSean is a talented player and a proven playmaker in this league and we look forward to him continuing his career in Philadelphia. It’s our understanding that he has the same desire. We will continue our efforts on getting a long-term deal done with him."

No word yet from the DeSean camp on whether the receiver is happy about this move. After the Eagles' season-ending win over the Redskins, Jackson told reporters that he'd be fine with it. However, it's no secret that he wants a long-term deal.

At the very least, his pockets will be rich for this season. By applying the franchise tag, the Birds must pay Jackson an average of the top five players at his position. In this instance, that would be around $10 million per season for DeSean. The Eagles could also trade Jackson.